


The Sun Will Rise and We Will Try Again

by SarahSa



Category: Marvel, Thor (Movies), Thor/Loki - Fandom, Thorki - Fandom, Thunderfrost - Fandom, fix it fic - Fandom, post infinity war - Fandom, thor and loki - fandom
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, IW SPOILERS, M/M, Spoilers, Thorki - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 14:02:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14498586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahSa/pseuds/SarahSa
Summary: **(INFINITY WAR SPOILERS PRESENT)** The Marvel heroes have undone the havoc Thanos caused, and those who were killed by the stones have returned. While most rejoice at being reunited, Thor feels only the intense loss of his home, his people, and his brother. But Loki had made a promise to him, and with nothing left to lose, he holds on to it like a life raft.





	The Sun Will Rise and We Will Try Again

**Author's Note:**

> Post-Infinty War fix it fic! I just want to not be sad anymore and thought maybe this would help T_T

Thor stared without direction along the devastated tree line at the edge of Wakanda’s city. The remains of the destruction that indicated they’d won brought him little comfort. He longed to return home to Asgard, to be somewhere with a sliver of familiarity, so that he might mourn in solitude.  
But Asgard and everything that it was had been taken from him. In the span of just a few short days, though the time travel made it feel like so much longer, Thor had lost everything in his life that had meaning. Everything that gave his life meaning. Tony had given his final breath to undo what Thanos had started, and Thor couldn’t help but wish it had been him instead. At least then he could be with the people he lost. Instead, he was agonizingly alone in a foreign place on Midgard.  
“Thor,” a familiar voice brought him from his introspection. He turned and saw Captain Rogers and his recently revived companion walking towards him.  
“Captain, Bucky,” he greeted them shortly, not having the energy to make any more conversation than was needed. The two approached him, not enough space between them to wedge a sheet of parchment, which was understandable given the circumstances that had just passed. Thor was certain the loss of his long-time friend had been difficult for him, and even with the weariness weighing heavy on his heart, he was glad Steve had someone to support him during this time.  
Steve opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it, as if unsure what to say. “How are you holding up?” He asked after another moment of thought.  
Thor almost let a grim chuckle slip through his lips. Every Asgardian they’d struggled to save had been murdered and the place he had spent over a thousand years calling home had been destroyed. His one constant through all of it he’d lost minutes later. Thor had never hit such a low point, but he wouldn’t disclose that to his friend who had his own losses to grieve.  
“I’m relieved that nearly everyone has been returned to their loved ones,” Thor answered, unable to smother the dejection in his tone completely.  
The man squinted in the evening light. “But not everyone?” He investigated carefully.  
Thor pressed his lips together at the question. His throat tightened knowing the answer he’d have to give him. How saying it out loud would finalize it, somehow. “The people on my ship were killed before Thanos had collected all the infinity stones, so I imagine they were beyond the time frame for reversing,” he explained solemnly.  
Steve frowned slightly. “Bruce gave me a recap of what happened after his quinjet crashed,” he said with a small nod. “He mentioned that state of things after he was beamed off the rescue ship. I’m sorry.” Steve replied sincerely. “Were you… the only one who made it off?” He asked after a pause. Although his question was ambiguous, his expression made it clear he was inquiring about his brother.  
Thor finally broke the eye contact he’d been struggling to maintain. “Yes,” he said quietly but firmly. He could see the sharp intake Steve took from his peripheral. The sympathy, though appreciated, only made Thor’s heart clench.  
He felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder, and it redrew his attention. Steve was looking at him with his eyebrows pulled together. “If there is anything we can do…” He trailed off.  
Thor forced the closest thing to a smile he could muster to appear on his lips. “Thank you,” he said.  
The captain nodded, exchanging a brief look with Bucky before turning around and draping a protective arm over his friend’s shoulders. The casual gesture tugged at his chest. What he wouldn’t give to experience those sorts of seemingly insignificant actions one last time.  
Thor watched the two men walk over to another group of heroes, the Strange man among them. The captain and the sorcerer shared a short exchange. Stephen glanced in Thor’s direction for a moment and he wondered what they were discussing. But not enough that he’d go investigate. Instead, he silently slipped past the crowds of teary eyed people who were scattered about and began to aimlessly wander the half-ruins of Wakanda to find seclusion.

“Strange,” a voice called to his right. Stephen broke his conversation with T’challa and turned to the sound and saw Steve strolling towards him with Bucky at his side.  
“What can I do for you Captain?” He replied, assuming he was coming with a request from the look on his face.  
“How far back did your magic trick turn time?” He asked.  
Stephen laughed “Magic trick? It took a little more effort than that,” the doctor joked. Steve’s expression remained steady and Stephen crossed his arms. “Hard to say, exactly. Far enough to return those who were dusted by Thanos, possibly further. The timelines of things got a little complicated so it’s difficult to keep track of the specifics,” he explained. “Why do you ask?”  
Steve reflected Strange’s stance. “Thor told me Thanos attacked the vessel carrying all the Asgardian refugees to get the space stone. Apparently, he killed everyone on the ship, excluding Thor,” He said. Stephen glanced at Thor and met his gaze, and then returned his attention to Steve.  
“His brother was among the casualties,” he added.  
Stephen nodded understandingly, feeling sympathy for the god of thunder. Then his brow furrowed as he processed Steve’s words. “Wait, Loki is dead? That’s not right,” he said, earning a perplexed look from Steve.  
“How do you mean?” He asked. But Stephen was already lost in his own thoughts.  
“I saw fourteen million outcomes to this war, each with slightly or greatly varying conclusions, but in this one Loki should still be alive,” he said, but it was more of him thinking out loud than answering Steve’s question.  
“What do you mean ‘should be’?” Steve pressed further.  
Stephen put a hand up as he cycled through the timelines in his head. Yes, Loki should have made it out alive. Had he miscalculated which outcome had occurred? No, that was unlikely if not impossible. He spared another glimpse at Thor, but the god had disappeared. Probably for the best, Stephen needed time to sort this out before he gave the man any false hope.  
He turned back to Steve and Bucky. “Keep this to yourselves. I have some investigating to do.” Stephen said before walking away from the two men, not waiting for a reply.

Stephen had hurried to a shallow cave a few hundred yards from the largest collection of people. Once out of sight, he hastily signed with his hands, unlocking the freshly returned time stone that hung from his neck. He closed his eyes, searching back in time for the right point. It didn’t take him long to find it and once he had, he focused on the position. Moving his hand in a circular motion, he opened a portal just large enough to step through and found himself in a hidden corner of a near obliterated ship. There were small fires to either side of him and the remains of the vessel were cast in a dangerous shade of deep red.   
He shuddered when he looked at the ground a few paces away and met the lifeless eyes of a young man. He turned away from the body with a grimace. There had been too much death.  
Too close by he heard the sound of voices he was hoping he’d never have to hear again in this life time. Before continuing, he summoned the powers of the time stone and brought the moment to a standstill. The silence was hardly reassuring, but he peered around the corner of the displaced wall he was hidden behind. The sight before him was disturbing. The floor of the ship was covered in more remains of refugees than rubble from the attack.  
At the far end of the ship was Thor, who was confined by bonds of metal pulled out from the surrounding debris, a look of horror frozen on his half-exposed face. He looked left and saw a handful of the dark order gathered around Thanos, who was fixed with his hand just reaching for the figure in front of him. Loki was standing arm’s length from Thanos, a small dagger hidden behind his wrist. Stephen shook his head. “He had the nerve to call me a second-rate sorcerer when he brought a knife to a magical stone fight,” he commented, and then shot out power towards the god, releasing him from his time prison. Loki jolted alive, nearly continuing his motion to stab the titan, but halted when he realized all was still. He glanced around defensively, relaxing only slightly when his eyes met Stephen’s  
“What is this?” He asked breathlessly, the heat of battle still coursing through him.  
“This is me saving you from doing something that clearly didn’t end in your favor,” Stephen clarified.  
He narrowed his eyes and looked around the room again, pausing momentarily when his gaze fell on Thor.  
“I’m sure this is a lot to take in, but I don’t really have time to explain everything to you in detail because I’m not certain how long this spell is going to last on him,” Stephen explained, drawing Loki’s attention back to him. “But in my world, we won. Well, after we lost,” he said, which earned another puzzled expression from Loki. “In this world, you lose. We lose. Your brother loses.” He tried to summarize. “You’re supposed to be alive in the timeline I just came from, and I’m here to make sure that that falls into place.”  
A sense of understanding settled onto the god’s face. “You’re here to take me with you back to your timeline,” he deduced.  
“Exactly.”  
“What happens in this one?”  
Stephen scoffed. “You were about to pull a dagger the size of my thumb on the most powerful being in the Universe, what do you think happened?”  
Loki glared at him. “I imagine I died to save my brother,” he guessed.  
“A noble way to go, I’ll give you that, but don’t you think he’d prefer you alive to dead?” Stephen asked.  
Loki gave a slight shrugged. “Depends on the day, I suppose.”  
His comment earned an eye roll from Strange. “Great, well today he’d prefer you alive, so why don’t you hike up your skirts and get over here so we can leave?”  
Loki sheathed his weapon and carefully made his way around the bodies littered along the ground. He hesitated only when he stepped near the version of his brother that was tied down. “What about him?” He asked, turning to Strange.  
“What about him? He’s waiting for you back on Earth.”  
“What about this version of him? Or is he the same one that’s back in your time.”  
Stephen rocked his head back and forth. “Yes, and no,” he said, and the god seemed reluctant to move farther unless given more of an answer. “He is still technically this Thor, just on a different timeline. One where you live, so better for it, I assume,” he explained.  
Loki’s expression was a mixture of confusion, pain, and hope. “But he is still my Thor?” He inquired.  
These Asgardians were a sentimental crowd. “Yes, he is still your Thor.” Stephen clarified, and he saw some of the conflict on Loki’s face dissipate. “Now, can we get going or did you want to stay and roast marshmallows around the fire?” Stephen pressed, eager to leave.  
To his surprise, Loki didn’t shoot him a dangerous look at his comment. Instead, he conjured up an image of himself in the place where he was just standing, the illusion posed to stab Thanos just as he had been moments ago. Then he turned to his petrified sibling. “I’m sorry, I hope this is the last time you have to watch me die, brother,” he stole one last look before grouping up with Strange.   
“Alright, let’s get the hell out of here,” Stephen said, opening up the portal once more. He swiftly stepped through, glancing back to make sure Loki followed. The god spared a pained look at the ship and then walked through. When both of their feet were on the ground, Strange waved a hand and sound returned to the ship just as the portal closed. Loki grimaced, and Stephen imagined he was feeling Thanos kill his double in that moment. Then he looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.  
“Where are we?” He asked.  
“Wakanda. Up until recently, it was a hidden technologically advanced haven in Central Africa,” he said. “Now it’s a refuge, of sorts.”  
Loki looked thoughtful. “Am I going to get shot at if someone sees me lurking around of my own accord?”  
Doctor Strange weighed that for a moment. “After everything that’s happened, it could go either way. You might want to keep a low profile until you find your brother,” he said.  
Loki turned to him. “And where might I find him?”  
Stephen adjusted his gloves. “I just brought you back from the dead; do I have to do everything?” He asked sarcastically. And he was surprised when the beginnings of a grin formed on Loki’s lips.  
“Fair point, sorcerer,” he replied lightly. It was hard to imagine that this was the same Loki that wreaked havoc on New York all those years ago when he looked like that. “Jokes aside, you have my thanks. I did not anticipate getting out of that one alive,” he said with unexpected earnest.  
Stephen nodded. “Just trying to fix what is in my power to repair,” he replied. He could now check off getting thanked by a god off his list. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Until next time, Loki” he said, before flying off into the growing darkness.  
Loki watched him disappear into the shadows. “Show off,” he muttered after he was long out of range. He found himself in a small rock alcove that appeared to be far enough away from the edge of the city that he would likely go unnoticed if he remained there for some time. The sky was losing its last rays of light and Loki sat down on the edge of a smooth stone. He decided he’d wait until the right time to find his brother.

Thor had found himself far from the heart of the city of Wakanda. His meandering had lead him to an outcropping of large rocks that faintly reminded him of the outskirts of Asgard. At the edge of the offshoot was a small pond that reflected the pale purple sky like a dark mirror. He’d been out here all night, yet it had felt like mere minutes, and at the time, years. He threw a stone into the center of the pool and watched the image ripple. He peered into the waters and saw his own distorted reflection. As it stilled, he stared at himself.  
He looked older. The lines on his face, though completely of his own doing, seemed like they’d never go away now. His short hair reminded him of how much he’d lost, and he felt a pang of anger at the man who had cut off his braids. The strand of his brother’s hair that he had woven into his own after his last passing now felt like an even greater loss. He had nothing but his memories now, and most were painful to dwell on. What had he said to Loki before Thanos invaded their ship?  
I feel like everything’s going to work out fine. Oh, how wrong he had been. He’d give anything to go back to that moment, to take Loki and run as far across the universe as they could to keep him safe. But he’d missed that opportunity, and it had cost him everything.  
He rested the side of his face against his knee, throwing another stone into the pond and summoning the small waves once more. As he gazed into the dark surface, he saw a painfully familiar figure appear by his reflection’s side.  
“Great, and now I am to be haunted by your memory for the rest of time?” Thor said in a darkly humorous tone as he stared at his deceased brother’s gently wavering face. The figment didn’t say anything, and Thor chided himself for even hoping that it would. He threw another rock at the water, this time aiming at his brother’s echo. But even after the rough assault, the image remained.  
Thor buried his face in his knees, attempting to smother the rising hope in his chest. But despite himself, he looked to his left and his eyes feel upon dark leather in the pre-dawn light. He turned his gaze upward and gradually rose to meet the figure at eye level. His heart yearned to reach out and embrace the image of his brother, but there was a part of him still holding back, because if this turned out to be a figment, and it likely was, Thor might actually die from the heartbreak.  
He swallowed thickly, waiting to see if it would say anything or simply fade away the moment the light touched it. They stared at each for a long, silent moment. Then, the figure turned to the horizon. He crossed his arms and looked to the eastern sky. “Look, the sun is rising,” he gestured to the orange glow at the peaks of the mountain.  
Thor stared at the man, dazed. The white-yellow rays of dawn touched his pale face, caressed his contrastingly dark hair, but he remained where he stood.  
Then, as if broken free from a magic spell of despair, Thor let out a breath and threw his arms around his brother. His brother. His living, breathing, splendid trickster of a brother. When his arms encased Loki’s body fully, Thor felt all the pain and suffering, the weight of all he had endured over the last few weeks, melt away like snow in the sunlight. He felt the slight squeeze of reciprocation, and he was overcome.  
“You’re alive,” Thor strained to say as he pulled back to take in his brother’s face, placing a rough hand against the delicate skin of his cheek. Loki’s eyes glistened in the early morning light, and he never wanted to look away from them.  
“I am as surprised as you are,” he replied. And for the first time since Sakar, he laughed. Then he embraced his brother once more.  
“How many times are you going to make me watch you die?” Thor jested, never imagining he’d be able to make a joke again.  
He felt the hum a light chuckle against his chest that snaked around his heart in warm tendrils. “Would you rather I not come back?” Loki teased.  
Thor laughed again, resting his forehead against Loki’s and cupping his neck. “You really are the worst, brother,” he stifled through the sobs breaking from his throat. “And I love you for it.” He added. Thor usually preferred to keep his emotions in check, but they were alone, and Loki was alive, and he didn’t care.  
Loki shook his head, rocking Thor’s in the process. “You blubbering oaf,” he tried to say carelessly, but Thor heard his voice falter ever so slightly. Loki brought a hand to the back of his head, gently caressing the short hair just behind his ear with his slender fingers, and drew him down into the crook of his neck. His long hair tickled Thor’s cheeks, but the feeling was welcome and he was content to stay like this for the rest of eternity.  
“I love you, too.”


End file.
